Quote of the week

Trinidad’s indicted Jack Warner – reacting to Concacaf suing him and his former Trump Tower neighbour Chuck Blazer for $20m by countersuing for $40m. Warner says his defamation case will end “the atrocities perpetrated against me by men of the lower ilk … The time has come. $40m it will be. Double theirs!”

• Jack’s previous best court plan: 2012 – a pledge to sue for defamation over “damn foolish” press talk of an FBI inquiry: “I will sue to the high heavens … It will be court after court after court.”

France investigates votes for 2018 and 2022 World Cups and questions Blatter

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Also back in the news

1) Richard Lai, Guam FA head and member of Fifa’s audit and compliance committee. 2013: Installs solar panels at his FA offices in a bid to raise $82,000 “for grassroots, for youth, for development … My preoccupation since I became president has been to find more sources of income.” 2017: Pleads guilty in a $1m bribery case; forfeits $1.1m.

2) Gordon Derrick, Antigua’s Caribbean Football Union head. 2016: Wins a new four-year term, promising to elevate an organisation “that was, when I arrived, scandal-hit and tarnished.” 2017: Faces a four-year ban over alleged “conflicts of interest, offering and accepting gifts, mismanagement of funds, abuse of position and disloyalty”. He denies wrongdoing.

And 3) Nicolás Leoz, Paraguay’s indicted former Conmebol head – linked by auditors to a $150m “gap” in their accounts. Leoz, 88, retired in 2013 “with the tranquillity and knowledge of having done a sincere, honest job”, and reflected on persistent press intrusion: “First the press in England were at it; now the German press do it. I don’t know. What is it that drives these people?”

Plus: line of the week

Fifa - denying that accreditation rules restricting the movement of journalists at this summer’s Confederations Cup in Russia amount to a threat to press freedom: “Press freedom is the top priority for Fifa.”

Elsewhere: best advocates

Ukraine: Dynamo Kyiv, reacting after fans staged a “white frenzy” KKK swastika protest against black players. “FC Dynamo has always advocated respect for public order and generally accepted ethical standards, and condemned discrimination.” (Helping push the message: Dynamo coach Sergei Rebrov, who reflected on his time at Spurs in 2008: “A lot of dark-skinned people live there. So naturally the crime rate is higher.”)

One to watch

Arsène Wenger, calling for a blanket ban on gambling: “You have everywhere, on every advert, bet, bet on Sky, bet on here, bet on there. If you don’t want people to bet, don’t make it official.” (2016: Arsenal make Tempobet “official betting partner in Oceania”, joining official European betting partner Betfair, 12Bet (Asia), SportPesa (Africa) and “Official Daily Fantasy Sports Partner” Draftkings. Arsenal: “We’re delighted to welcome Tempobet into our family. We look forward to working together to engage our supporters.”)

Best defence

Croatia: Former Dinamo president Zdravko Mamic, in court over alleged €16m embezzlement and €1.6m tax fraud, reacting to the judge reading out his charges. “I’m not listening. This is sick and heinous. I’m no thief, I’m the creator of modern Dinamo. I am the creator of the fight against crime. People are going hungry and Croatia throws money at this farce?” The trial continues.

Best cameo

Nov 2016: David Yip, head of a Chinese consortium looking to buy Hull: “In the last decade, Hull City AFC excelled itself... escalating from one peak to another. It is for such colossal potential that we intend to acquire Hull City AFC.” Apr 2017: Yip taken into custody [pdf] by Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Meanwhile in Romania

FCSB owner Gigi Becali, weighing up the prospect of Anamaria Prodan, wife of his coach Laurentiu Reghecampf, running for the Romanian League presidency. “I will block it. A woman in charge? It’d violate the principles of God. I know who is behind all this, promoting women, violating God’s plan - it’s the ‘one with horns’. The devil dominates the West - Trump only beat Clinton because the US is immune. Orthodoxy is the last stand. I speak the word of Jesus.”

Said & Done: ‘It’s not that nice, not that nice. It wasn’t a money deal for me’

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Manager news: moving on

1) Jan 2017: Dave Jones becomes Hartlepool’s seventh manager in five years. “If this club has a reputation for moving managers on, then it’s time for change. The chairman has brought me in here to change things.” Apr 2017: Moves on.

2) Switzerland: Sion president Christian Constantin - 44 coach changes in 14 years including himself as caretaker four times - denying he sacked coach Peter Zeidler: “He’s just taking a holiday.” Zeidler. “There is no ‘holiday’. The fact is, my replacement just took training. Christian has shown me the way.”

Most wronged

Brazil: Chapecoense coach Vagner Mancini, reacting after his striker Rossi was sent off and went viral for goosing an opponent. “The referee was biased. Faults committed on one side were whistled with rigour; on the other side, no. We got nothing.”